Tennessee, Illinois hold maiden meeting in Music City Bowl

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer recalls attending the 2011 Music City Bowl as his hometown university, Mississippi State, participated in the game in Nashville, Tenn.

That's why Altmyer plans to relish Tuesday's opportunity to face Tennessee in the 2025 edition of the game at Nissan Stadium.

Opting out to prepare for the NFL draft hardly was a consideration.

"These bowl games are very, very core memories for families, for myself, for the guys obviously," Altmyer said. "It's something I don't take for granted.